A Hard Knock Life
by Gleeks09
Summary: AU.  Rachel is five-years-old and Shelby has always been a part of her life.  Shelby takes Rachel to see her first major musical production and then must deal with Rachel's excitement afterwards.  AU.  One-shot.  Give it a look!


**A/N – This is something I wrote up a while ago and haven't been doing anything with and wasn't ever going to post it. But I changed my mind and thought I would float it out there. Rachel is five and her dads are great guys and Shelby has been a part of her life since day one. And a huge thank you to Steamed Artichoke 43 for helping me out with this. I really, really appreciate it. **

Amidst the darkness of the theater, the young mother furtively glanced down beside her and smiled at the sight of the child sitting next to her. Her five-year-old daughter was completely captivated by the scene playing out before her. The young girl was resting on her knees in the chair, her eyes wide and a huge grin plastered on her face.

Shelby Corcoran had realized early on that her daughter had seemingly inherited Shelby's own interest in all things related to the stage and Shelby was more than willing to share this special passion with her little girl. So in addition to the various musical soundtracks that she had already purchased for Rachel, now that her daughter was of age, Shelby had been on the lookout for productions that she and Rachel could equally enjoy. However, such shows were hardly available during the school year and while she had been slightly disappointed when her multiple searches came up empty, she had soon decided that perhaps catching a performance during the summer break wouldn't be so bad. Indeed, it would be much easier on both of their schedules, as well as a welcomed treat. And as she witnessed her daughter excitedly bounce back on her heels, she knew her previous assumption had been proven correct. With summer finally here, mother and daughter were free to enjoy themselves as they saw fit.

In fact, due to planned circumstances Rachel was even spending the week with her mom. Such an act wasn't exactly unusual, though, seeing as Shelby and the Berry men shared joint custody of Rachel. Honestly, the only thing that could be deemed relatively odd about the entire situation would be the events surrounding Rachel's birth. Initially, Shelby had only intended to be a surrogate. But as her pregnancy progressed, she'd quickly fallen in love with her unborn child and as a result her friendship with Hiram and Leroy Berry had deepened.

Then, in just a matter of months, she'd discovered that her priorities had changed. She soon realized that being a mother to her baby and getting to be a part of her life had supplanted her previous dreams. So after Rachel was born, Shelby had rented an apartment close to the Berry's home, eventually even buying a house in the same neighborhood once she'd gotten her job teaching at Carmel. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she was able to find an outlet for the dreams she had set aside prior to her daughter's birth by assisting the director of Vocal Adrenaline, her school's glee club. The current director was an older man with very little ambition, but Shelby hoped that once he decided to retire she would be able take over the program. She felt that her own youthful innovativeness would be a welcomed change for the group and she could offer several ideas to make the team great. Yet, even these responsibilities and aspirations paled when it came to her daughter.

The three adults did their best to keep things consistent for Rachel, especially during the school week. But, as can be expected, things didn't always work out that way. Although, on the few occasions that Rachel was split between her two homes, she thought nothing of it. Truthfully, she'd always thought it was normal to have two homes, two bedrooms and three parents so she had been thoroughly shocked to find out that such a family situation wasn't the same for most kids.

Admittedly, the Berry-Corcoran family was nothing short of unconventional. Nonetheless, the three adults had become a proficient team as Rachel's parents and the four of them had become a very stable family. The three of them did their best with Rachel, but sometimes even parents needed a break. So for the first time since Rachel's birth, Leroy and Hiram had decided to take a vacation, just the two of them. They'd saved and bought tickets for a week long cruise and they'd be returning from Florida the following evening. Hence the reason Rachel was with her mother in the first place. For one whole week it had just been Rachel and Shelby.

With a content sigh, Shelby turned back to face the stage. Watching such productions always evoked old memories in her. They reminded her of the dreams she had put aside in order to be a parent to Rachel. It wasn't something she thought of often, but once upon a time she had dreamed to make it big on the Broadway stage. But, in this very moment as she sat in the theater watching her daughter experience her first big stage production, she was sure living a life with her daughter would mean more to her than being on the stage ever could. So, with one last glance at her child, Shelby fully returned her attention to the stage to watch the little girls singing "Hard Knock Life" in the professional traveling company of _Annie_.

Rachel had, of course, seen the movie version of _Annie_ and she had listened to Shelby's CD of the Broadway cast recording countless times and knew all of the songs, but she had never seen anything on the stage before. Shelby had made Rachel promise before the show started that she wouldn't sing along, but now Shelby was convinced that Rachel wouldn't be able to sing along right now even if she wanted to.

Rachel clutched a bag holding her newly purchased red Annie t-shirt and doll in one hand and in her other she held Shelby's hand as they walked to the car after the show. Shelby smiled to the people around them who were commenting on Rachel's enthusiasm. In fact, Rachel hadn't stopped talking about it since the show ended.

"That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" Rachel exclaimed. "Did you see all those kids up there? I want to be in a show like that one day. Annie was great and she had a really pretty voice and all of the other kids were good too, even that one girl who was mean to Annie. And I really liked Mr. Warbucks and Grace was pretty, but I think you can sing better than she can, Mommy. And I loved Miss Hannigan! She was so funny, even if she kind of was the bad guy. What part did you like, Mommy?"

"Well-"

"I liked when the girls were all having to clean up and singing that song and when Annie got to sing the sun'll come out tomorrow. That's a great song, don't you think, Mommy?"

Shelby nodded but kept her eye on the traffic in the parking garage. Her hand tightened around Rachel's as she led them to her car.

"Me too. I liked Annie. She had pretty red hair. Do you think I'd look pretty with red hair? And I thought she sang really well. I think I can sing better than some of the other orphan girls though. Do you know how to play any of those songs on piano? Will you play them for me so I can sing? Will you sing them with me? It's too bad Dad and Daddy missed this. I bet they would have loved it just like we did. Maybe we can bring them here when they get home and we can see it again," Rachel continued on, clearly not understanding the concept that it was a travelling tour. "Can we watch the movie when we get home even though I know they're different? Can we listen to your CD in car while we drive home?"

Shelby was holding the car door open for Rachel and the girl climbed in and took a seat in the booster seat and absently reached for the seatbelt, but was too distracted with talking to Shelby that her hand kept grabbing at thin air. Shelby instead took the seatbelt and continued to listen to Rachel's ramblings as she leaned across her and buckled her in.

"Well, do you, Mommy?" Rachel asked just as the seatbelt clicked into place.

"Do I what?" Shelby asked. She was still at eye level with Rachel and stopped and waited for the girl to continue. It could be anything considering the amount of questions Rachel had asked while leaving no chance for Shelby to reply.

"Think I'd look pretty with red hair?"

"Yes, I think you'd be beautiful with red hair. Although I love your brown hair quite a lot too."

"But Annie doesn't have brown hair, Mom. She's got red hair. You can't be Annie and have brown hair."

"My mistake," Shelby told her before moving to get into the front seat and drive them home.

Rachel talked for almost all of the two hour drive back to Lima. It was only when she finally fell asleep that Shelby was able to turn off the _Annie_ CD that Rachel had insisted be on the entire way back. Judging from the area, they were about twenty minutes from the house, but Shelby was glad for the break, no matter how long it would be. She loved her daughter more than anything, but Rachel's constant chatter could be exhausting.

Shelby carried Rachel into the house doing her best to keep her little girl sleeping for as long as possible. The last thing she needed was for Rachel to have gotten a second wind from her power nap and be awake and ready to discuss the play once again. Shelby laid her on the bed and made quick work of removing Rachel's shoes and tights. She pulled out a nightshirt and then sat Rachel up and leaned the girl against her so she could take off her dress.

"Mommy, I'm not tired anymore," Rachel said, straining to open her eyes when Shelby lifted the dress over her head. "I want to watch _Annie_."

"You can watch it tomorrow," Shelby told her as she smoothed the girl's hair down after slipping the nightshirt over her head. "It's bedtime now." It was, in fact, well past Rachel's bedtime. The time of the show plus the two hour drive home made it after eleven and Shelby was ready for bed herself.

"But you said I could watch it when I got home," Rachel said, close to tears at not getting her way.

"No, I didn't," Shelby said as she helped the girl stand up and lead her to the bathroom. Shelby waited in the hall and Rachel returned a minute later rubbing her eyes with hands that were still wet from having just washed them.

"But I'm not even tired," Rachel whined.

"I know, honey. Come on." Shelby picked her up and Rachel rested her head on her shoulder. The walk back to Rachel's room was short but even so the girl was almost back asleep by the time Shelby put her back in bed. "Here," she said, handing Rachel the brand new Annie doll. The girl cuddled it next to her as she settled into her pillows.

"I love you, Mommy," Rachel mumbled.

"I love you too," Shelby whispered as she placed a kiss on Rachel's forehead. She turned on a small lamp across the room that gave off a soft, light blue glow and served as a nightlight before she then flipped off the switch on her way out of her daughter's room.

Shelby awoke the following morning to the sounds of her child singing "Tomorrow" at the top of her lungs. She tried to block it out for a couple of minutes, but realized it was a futile attempt. Shelby rolled over and finally opened her eyes to look at her clock and saw that it was only 5:02 in the morning. Oh dear god. Shelby groaned and climbed out of bed much earlier than she ever wanted to on a Sunday morning. By the time she got downstairs, Rachel was singing "I Think I'm Gonna Like it Here." She had put Shelby's CD in the stereo and was blasting it just loud enough, but not too loud, because Rachel wanted to make sure she could hear herself as well. She was standing on the coffee table with her arms spread wide like she was standing center stage at Radio City Music Hall. She was wearing her new Annie t-shirt, along with some black shorts, and her hair hadn't been brushed. She looked as if she had gotten dressed and come downstairs as quickly as possible in order to start her show.

"Rachel," Shelby said, trying to get her attention but the girl couldn't hear her. Shelby tried a couple more times before finally just going over and turning the music off. Rachel continued singing a few more lines before she realized she'd lost her accompaniment and turned around to look at the entertainment center which housed the CD player.

"Mommy, why did you turn it off? I was practicing."

"Rachel, it's way too loud for just after five in the morning," Shelby told her. "Why aren't you still in bed?"

"I wasn't tired anymore," Rachel told her matter-of-factly. "Besides, you have to get up early to see the worms. That's what Dad always says. And I told him that I didn't want to see any worms, but he said that it really means that you can get whatever you want if you get up early."

Shelby was too tired to argue that logic and explain what it really meant so she decided to instead try and distract the girl from wanting to sing anymore right now.

"How about I make some pancakes for breakfast?" she asked as she scooped Rachel up off the coffee table and carried her to the kitchen.

"That sounds great! Can I help you cook?"

"Of course." Shelby pulled one of the chairs from the kitchen table over to the counter and set Rachel on it so that she could help. Her next stop was the coffee pot so she could get that started because if she was going to have to make pancakes this early, she was going to need her coffee to help her out. Rachel waited while Shelby moved around the kitchen getting out the ingredients and bowls she would need. It was as Shelby was reaching into the refrigerator to get some eggs that a thought occurred to her.

"Hey, Rach? Where did you find the _Annie_ CD? I don't remember bringing it in from the car last night."

"I got your keys and went out and got it this morning just after I woke up," Rachel told her.

Shelby set the eggs down in a bowl on the counter next to Rachel and then stared down at her young daughter. "You took my keys and went out to the car at four something in the morning and got the CD? How did you get it out of the radio?"

Rachel held Shelby's look, but she didn't know what to say. She thought she had been doing the right thing by letting her mother sleep. Well okay, she knew she wasn't allowed in the car by herself, but she had needed that CD and she didn't know when her mother would eventually wake up.

"Rachel, did you start the car?"

"No, I turned the key backwards like you always do," Rachel answered quickly.

"You know better than that," Shelby scolded.

"But you were asleep and I needed it," Rachel told her.

"That's no excuse," Shelby said, moving a couple of steps closer to her daughter.

"I'm going to go upstairs and play. Can you make breakfast without me?" Rachel said as she jumped down from the chair and scampered out of the room. She sensed she was about to get in trouble and decided that now was a good time to go.

Shelby watched her leave for a second and then walked over to the hook where her keys always hung to make sure they were back where they were supposed to be. She wasn't sure what worried her more; the fact that Rachel knew how to start the car and work the radio or the fact that Rachel had been able to get in and out of the house without Shelby hearing her. They were going to have to have a talk about that later.

After breakfast, Shelby put the _Annie_ movie on for Rachel and then got to listen as her daughter pointed out all of the ways the movie was different from the stage show, as well as all of the questions she had.

"They didn't sing this song in the show last night, Mommy, but I still like it."

"Why can't Mr. Warbucks drive himself around?"

"Can I have a locket like that?"

"Can we get a dog named Sandy?"

"I don't like some of those girls as much as some of the ones from last night."

"Why did they change some of the songs in the movie?"

"How come Miss Hannigan doesn't like dogs?"

"Did Daddy Warbucks adopt all of the girls at the end?"

"I want to try and climb up a tall railroad track like that. Do we have any close to our house?"

"Mommy, don't sleep, watch it with me."

"Mommy, you're going to miss the best part if you go right now."

On and on it went. Shelby never got more than ten minutes out of the room until Rachel was calling her back with more questions or pointing out something Shelby just had to see. After the second time through the movie, Shelby made Rachel turn it off and go out back and play. Rachel had argued at first, but twenty minutes later, the girl looked to be having a good time on the swing set. When she stepped outside to check on her, Shelby could hear that Rachel was belting out "Maybe" at the top of her lungs. She could only assume that it was Rachel's very nice vocals that kept the neighbors from calling and complaining. Either that or no one else was home. Rachel only stopped her concert when Shelby called her in for lunch.

"Mommy, can I watch the movie again after lunch?" Rachel asked between bites of her grilled cheese sandwich.

"No, after lunch you're going to take a nap."

"No, Mommy," Rachel said, already crying. "I'm not tired, I don't need a nap!" They went through this same scene at every nap time.

"Yes, Rachel," Shelby said. She helped her daughter wipe the crumbs and milk from her mouth and then took the hand of the still crying girl and led her to the stairs. "You can lie down in my room if you want. I'm going to come up and take a nap too. Ok?" Rachel nodded as she began her forlorn trek up the stairs.

Shelby went back to the kitchen and started to clean up from lunch. When she checked on Rachel ten minutes later the girl was already fast asleep. Shelby had to smile at the way Rachel had neatly folded her socks and set them on a chair before taking up residence in the center of the bed and snuggling under the blankets. Shelby left her to her sleep and went back downstairs to watch something on TV. She didn't even really care what it was, as long as it wasn't _Annie_. It was over an hour before she finally decided she would lie down for a nap as well. She crawled into bed next to Rachel and enjoyed the moment of watching her sleep before she gave in and closed her own eyes.

Rachel woke up a little while later and sat up and glanced over at her sleeping mother. She leaned down and placed a light kiss on her mother's forehead and then pulled the covers up close to her chin in the same way that Shelby always did for her. She then climbed out of bed and crept out of the room, making sure to be quiet so she wouldn't wake her mother.

Shelby was jolted from her sleep and sat up in bed, wildly looking around. She could have sworn she just heard a bang. She looked to her side and found that Rachel was gone. She jumped when she heard the bang again and this time threw the blankets aside so she could get out of bed and find her daughter. Her heart was racing in a panic as she went across the hall and checked in Rachel's room but didn't see her. There was another bang, but this time she heard the singing also. Rachel was singing "The Hard Knock Life" downstairs. Calming considerably, Shelby made her way down the stairs and to the kitchen since that's where the noise was coming from.

Shelby stopped short when she rounded the corner and saw the sight before her. She was rendered speechless as she took in the scene. The water was running in the sink and there was a large bowl on the counter next to an empty bottle of cranberry juice and an almost empty bottle of peanut butter. There was red juice all over the counter and running down the cupboards leading to the floor. On the floor sat an inch, or more, of soapy water and in the center of it all was Rachel. She was kneeling in the water clutching a bucket and a rag and on her head was a long red cloth, though Shelby had no idea how it was staying in place. Rachel slammed the bucket down again on the floor and started in on another chorus of the song as she used the rag to scrub the floor, but all it was really doing was moving all of the water around and making an even bigger mess. Every time she brought the bucket down more water splashed onto the cabinets and walls. Rachel was covered in the soapy water, but didn't seem to mind it as she continued to sing her little heart out.

Shelby turned and walked away from the scene before Rachel could see her. She needed a moment to count to ten… or a hundred… or a thousand. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to go in there and calmly speak to her child.

"Rachel Barbara Berry, what is going on in here?" Shelby said when she stepped back over to the kitchen. Rachel spun around and looked up at her mother with wide eyed surprise before she shrank back at the sight of the angry woman with her hands on her hips. Rachel knew that tone and that posture. She was in a lot of trouble.

"I'm practicing, Mommy," Rachel said in a quiet voice.

"You made a huge mess." Shelby was glad she didn't have socks on as she stepped into the soapy mess in the kitchen. She stopped at the sink and turned the water off and took notice of her nearly empty, brand new bottle of dish soap. "Why is there juice in this bowl?"

"I needed red hair," Rachel said. She was still sitting on her knees on the floor watching Shelby. "I thought the red juice would turn my hair red, but it just made it wet." Shelby closed her eyes and inwardly groaned at the thought of her daughter sticking her head in a bowl full of cranberry juice.

"And why is the peanut butter empty?" Shelby asked, methodically going through everything so she had all of the details before she dealt with Rachel.

"The juice didn't work so I needed something red. And I remembered that you told Grandma that you never use your old red tablecloths anymore so I pulled them out of the cabinet where I saw them the last time you let me help fold another tablecloth and put it away. And I made myself a wig!" Rachel said proudly, holding up the ends for Shelby to see. "But it wouldn't stay on my head. And you always say how I get sticky when I eat peanut butter so I thought that it would work to hold my wig in place and it does."

Shelby stared at Rachel while she processed all of that. Her gaze wandered to the kitchen table where she saw her old red tablecloth that had been cut up as well as a pair of scissors. Her gaze hardened and she looked back to Rachel.

"Did you use those scissors?"

Rachel knew that this was not something she could get out of, even if she had been able to sell the rest. She knew she was not allowed to use those scissors at all. "They're just like the small ones I used in school," Rachel said referring to the safety ones she had in kindergarten. They were the only scissors she was allowed to use at home as well, but only with one of her parents around.

"Rachel, stand up."

Rachel's bottom lip was already quivering as she followed her mom's instructions. She dropped the rag in the bucket and looked up to face Shelby. "I'm sorry, Mommy."

"Let's go." Shelby pointed to the doorway and then took Rachel's hand to walk with her, trying to keep the little girl steady so she didn't slip in the soapy water. She picked her up when they reached the doorway of the kitchen so that there would be only one set of wet footprints on the carpet. She carried Rachel up to the bathroom and set her down and started the water in the tub. Whatever else that needed to be done about this situation, getting the peanut butter out of Rachel's hair was top of the list. Shelby gently pulled the red cloth from her hair and put it in the trashcan. The mess in her hair was awful, but Shelby was certain she could get it all out. She helped Rachel get undressed and got her in the tub.

Forty-five minutes later Rachel was washed, dried and dressed with clean, brushed hair and standing in the corner in the living room. Shelby was on her way back from the garage with a mop and stopped to watch Rachel furiously attempting to rub the sting out of her smarting backside. Shelby set the mop aside and quickly picked up her camera from its spot on the small table in the hallway before she snapped a few pictures of Rachel. Shelby smiled at the thought of one day being able to show Rachel the pictures of her standing in the corner trying to rub the sting away. One day this would probably be a really funny story, but right now Shelby had a mess to clean up.

Rachel sniffled once again. She had been since her crying had slowed down and finally stopped a few minutes ago. She hated standing in the corner! She'd only been there a couple of minutes, but to Rachel it felt like forever. She cast a surreptitious glance around and caught sight of her mom on her way to the kitchen with a mop. Shelby sent her a stern look and Rachel quickly turned her head back to the corner and sniffled again. She started to hum a few lines from "Hard Knock Life" and missed her mom having to stifle a laugh at the irony of Rachel humming that song right now.

"Hello," Hiram Berry said, opening the front door and sticking his head in.

"In here," Shelby called back. She looked up as the two Berry men came to the doorway of the kitchen and stopped when they saw the mess she was trying to clean up.

Leroy let out a low whistle. "What happened in here?"

"I will tell you what happened in here," Shelby said as she wiped up another spot with a towel and then got to her feet. "Your daughter," she pointed to each man, "happened in here." Shelby gave them a quick rundown of the whole story including the car, the singing, the talking, the scissors, the hair, and the mess. Both men were trying to hide their smiles at the end of the story and even Shelby was struggling to hold back one of her own.

"That sounds like your daughter to me, Shelby," Hiram said. "Where is she?"

Shelby pointed to the living room and both men stepped over to see around the corner and looked at Rachel who was still standing in her spot in the corner.

"What are you guys doing here today?" Shelby asked when they came back. "I hadn't planned to drop her off until tomorrow."

"We got back in earlier this morning and were just missing Rachel," Hiram said. "We decided to drop in and see you two. We thought maybe we could head out to dinner later if you want."

"That sounds great," Shelby said. "But not until after I get this cleaned up."

"I'll help you," Hiram offered as he bent to take off his shoes and socks.

"You can get her if you want," Shelby said to Leroy. "It's been about fifteen minutes since I put her there. It's just about too long for her as it is." Shelby didn't usually like to leave Rachel in the corner for any longer than ten minutes because the girl got antsy and sometimes got herself into more trouble and Shelby never felt that was fair.

"How was your trip?" Shelby asked Hiram as he came in the kitchen and got to work and he told her a few stories while they cleaned.

Leroy stepped into the living room and stood a few feet behind his daughter and crossed his arms over his chest. "Rachel."

Rachel stiffened when she heard her father's deep voice and slowly turned her head and looked over her shoulder at him. "Hi, Daddy," she said meekly. "I can't get out yet because Mommy said I had to stay here until she said so."

"Mommy said that I could get you out," Leroy told her. One thing they had been teaching her since day one was that she couldn't play one parent against the others, especially when at the other one's house. It was Shelby's house and so he couldn't overturn her punishment and, even at five, Rachel understood that. With that in mind, Rachel still didn't move.

"Are you sure?"

"Shelby," Leroy called out.

"Rachel, you're done," Shelby called back.

That was all Rachel needed to turn around completely and walk over to Leroy who picked her up and held her tightly. She wrapped her little arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder and started to cry again. "I missed you, Daddy."

"I missed you too, sweetheart." He sat down on the couch and held her in his lap.

"Is Mommy still mad at me?" Rachel asked, looking into his eyes.

"No, she's not. But you know better than to do all of those things you did today," he reminded her. "You certainly know better than to use the scissors."

"I know. Mommy told me all of that just before my spanking," Rachel said. "And after she held me for a long time. I don't think she wanted my bottom to hurt that bad when I had to stand in the corner. But it still does."

"I'm sure it does." He sat back and she settled her head against his chest and they sat together in silence for a few minutes. For as amazing as a cruise with his husband was, nothing beat the feeling of being back with his daughter and family. He was truly glad to be home.

"Hi, Peanut," Hiram said when he and Shelby stepped into the living room ten minutes later. "I see you're helping your Daddy do all of the hard work."

"Hi, Dad!" Rachel said as she stood up on Leroy and worked her way over the back of the couch so Hiram could pick her up. "I missed you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him as tightly as she did Leroy. He hugged her back and kissed the top of her head.

"Rach, your dads are taking us to dinner in a little while," Shelby said. "So what do you say we go upstairs and get ready and changed to go out?" Rachel nodded vigorously and held her arms out to Shelby who took her from Hiram. She completely forgot about the notion that Shelby may still be mad at her as her mom carried her up the stairs.

Shelby was picking out something nicer than the shorts and t-shirt Rachel currently had on, while Rachel sat on the bed and swung her legs back and forth. "Can I wear my _Annie_ shirt?"

"It's dirty, honey."

"Oh yeah. Can we wash it real quick?"

"No. You can wear something else right now and when you come back over here, you can wear your _Annie_ shirt again."

Rachel got up and stood next to Shelby and leaned her head against her mother's hip and wrapped her arms loosely around Shelby's leg and interlocked her fingers. "Can I at least wear a red shirt?"

"Sure, honey," Shelby said. She pulled out a red shirt and a skirt for Rachel and helped her get changed. She then put her hair up with a red ribbon and sent her back downstairs to wait with her fathers while she got changed.

As soon as the restaurant had been decided on and all four of them were settled into Hiram's car and backing out of the driveway, Leroy turned around his seat and looked at Rachel.

"Honey, why don't you tell your Dad and me about _Annie_?" Rachel started to talk immediately and Leroy looked over at Shelby and smiled sweetly at her even though she was shooting daggers at him. She shook her head and muttered under her breath as the car filled with Rachel's voice. Leroy turned back around and looked to Hiram who was smiling just as broadly.

"And then Annie ran away and she found Sandy. Sandy was her dog. There was really a real dog up on the stage! Isn't that right, Mommy?" She looked over to Shelby for confirmation and Shelby matched the girl's bright smile.

"That's right, Rachel."

The End

**A/N – Thanks for readings, guys! Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought. **


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